Darkness before dusk
by KH2083
Summary: Hordes of Dark Kingodm are approaching Queen Serenity's palace and the Silver Millenium is reaching its tragic end. What will be the role of Sailor Uranus and Sailor Neptune in the upcoming battle? Will their sacrifice change history?


**Darkness before Dusk**

World: Sailor Moon

Time: Silver Millenium Era

Characters: Haruka and Michiru

She was standing motionless at the foot of the old stronghold in which a few hours before the greatest tragedy of her life had taken place. A strong wind carrying tons of dust was waving her short, blonde hair. Her eyes were dull, devoid of the expression, indifferent. She knew that what happened had been planned by the destiny and yet she still could not be reconciled with it. Fields surrounding the fortress were covered by armies of soldiers and weird-looking demons. Everyone had hateful eyes in which the power of their leader - Queen of Darkness was mirrored. The woman didn't feel fear. She was gripping the sword set with jewels.

_"Everything began suddenly, although everyone in the Silver Millennium __had known for hundreds of years that this moment would come. This was written in the scriptures as aged masters taught their pupils. The evil approached from the blue planet demanding the lost longevity and the power. The army of bloodthirsty demons turned the state vibrant with a harmony into the world of death and despair. "_

The night sky was twinkling with thousands of stars and the gentle wind was moving branches of bushes and trees covering the verandah of the palace. The fountain hidden in the darkness filled the space with a pleasant noise. Young green-haired woman was looking at the Blue Planet hovering above the horizon, which at this night was exceptionally clear, like made of crystal. She passed fingers along icy marble surface humming some old song.

"You cannot sleep, again". She heard the voice coming from deep inside the garden.

After a moment she saw other woman with short, blonde hair. They came up to each other.

"It'll begin very shortly, right?" the blonde asked. Her friend lowered the eyes

"You already know".

"Pluto came back to the Gates and this means it'll be over soon".

"We must also return to our castles, for next centuries..."

"...". The girl could not look her friend in the eyes, she was hiding something. It was apparent that it caused her an immense trouble, but she didn't manage to reveal thoughts tormenting her. Only monotonous humming of the fountain was breaking the silence. At last her companion put hands on her shoulders and tried to force her to look into her own face.

"Why are you refusing to talk, Neptune? After all..." Green-haired girl looked at her with eyes full of tears.

"Uranus, do not…" Her voice cracked at every word. "Let us not come back to castles, let us not come back there, please!"

"What are you saying? This is an order, we cannot oppose it. You know, I don't like the fact that we'll be only waiting not being able to fight, but we cannot..." Uranus raised her voice.

"This is not the point!" Neptune interrupted her firmly.

"Don't you understand what the return will mean for us? We'll be separated, perhaps forever. Do you want it to happen this way?" She started trembling; she instinctively embraced herself with arms.

"But when we don't come back, we'll be facing death. You know that we won't manage to stop them." Neptune cuddled up to the breast of the friend.

"We'll die, but together and if..." Tears started flowing down her cheeks.

"And if some second life exists…" She started to sob uncontrollably.

"Then we'll be able to be together again."

"Neptune…"Whispered Uranus. "

So, are we staying?" From now on they said nothing. They started kissing. Relative to the park they looked like two marble statues merging with each other. The wind was dropping leaves from trees; the noise of the fountain merged with the noise of meadows surrounding the palace.

"_Visions of war. War of the Earth with the Moon. Darkness flooding the Silver Planet, Metalia's power running huge armies. The infernal laughter and the frenzy of Queen Beryl engulfing all cities. Her eyes paralyzing defenders of the Silver Millennium with fear. Columns of fire consuming thousands of houses, glow spreading over hundreds of kilometers. March of Generals, leaders which were allied with this world once but now became its torturers. Symbols of Silver Moon drowning in the fire. Dying civilization, beginning of the new order. "_

Stronghold immersed in the night was lightened up only by the glitter of torches stuck in walls. In the distance one could see hordes of the enemy army coming near. Sounds of marches and singing of the anthem of the Kingdom of the Earth carried with the wind were heard amongst walls of the castle, at the beginning barely audibly, later more and more loudly. Blonde in sailor senshi uniform was standing on a top of the highest tower of the fortress. She was looking into darkness expecting somebody. The cold wind reflected from stone walls was playing sad mourning melody. Air waved and a portal appeared in the form of a black hole. A man in uniform with long, auburn hair came from inside of it. Uranus looked at him with a mocking smile.

"I can see that you managed to convince them. It's remarkable how much they believe in your prophecies." she said. The man put hands in pockets and stayed in the place in which darkness entirely covered his face.

"I didn't do anything important; I simply convinced them that the army should take the road leading by this stronghold. For Kunzite these are at most 30 minutes of a delay in capturing the capital city. By the way these are not just prophecies but the will of the fate, even the fact that you asked for help exactly me." He replied.

"Yes, you believe in your stars." She said. Nephrite only smiled.

"This world was so beautiful. I remember how I have arrived here with Endymion once..." He wanted to start the conversation. He went up closer to the Uranus, the torch lighted up his entire silhouette.

"Give me a break." shouted Uranus. The man opened a portal before himself.

"You'll be able to fulfill your desire and a moment of delay will give the Queen time for the preparation of the ginzuishou. Everything will finally end." After the last words he started disappearing slowly.

"Wait! I want to ask you something." She extended a hand to him.

"Yes? "He smiled. In his eyes some infernal flash appeared.

"How can you bear the double infidelity, at first Queen Serenity and now Metalia? How do you plan to live with this?" He just laughed.

"Live? You know that we'll soon forget what it mean. And apart from that at this moment there are no sides, the light and the darkness. It's not important who will win, everything will end the same. Serenity and Metalia are only puppets in the hands of destiny. It is the will of stars. Remember: Stars know everything." The man looked at the starry sky. Uranus noticed that in his eyes a tear was shining. "I pity you demon." She lowered her head. Air waved and Nephrite disappeared. The wind was playing with girl's short hair.

_Koukai wa shiteinai _

_Anata to susunda michi dakara _

_Kimerareshi hoshi no shita _

_Jiai wa umareru mae kara sadame no senshi _

Uranus and Neptune were standing on the wall keeping their talismans. They watched the unit of forces of Queen Beryl coming near to them. Their hearts were beating as if they were one. They knew that what they planned to do was good and they couldn't hesitate. A moment of weakness of one of them could destroy the entire plan. They had to act like one being, with one body and the soul.

"You can free the huge strength of your talismans. When they fall into the resonance with each other the released energy is so great that it can wipe entire city. Their owners will evaporate from the surface of the Earth; therefore it is not allowed to concentrate their powers."

They remembered words of Pluto who often repeated teaching them how to use talismans. They didn't think that at one time they will be able to try it in practice.

"Neptune, are you sure it'll stop them?"

"No, but perhaps it'll weaken them enough that the Queen will be able to destroy them with the Crystal. The new reality won't be written by darkness." Girls looked at each other for the last time. Talismans started shining with holy glitter.

_A few demons are rising up into the air. They are attacking senshi with spikes with venom. The whistle of membranous wings and the roar __of mouths full of teeth. The blow of one of them is affecting Uranus. Fall and hit against the hard earth beneath the stronghold. Pain in left leg. Confusion. The girl is chopping with the sword blindly. The blood of demons is flooding walls of the stronghold. Bodies are breaking against walls. _

"_Neptune! What are you waiting for! Free the strength of talismans! Quick! Before it is too late!"_

_Next assault of the sword. And next. Demons are falling down dead. Uranus is turning around. Furious __Beryl's soldiers are running straight to her. Clang of swords, breaking of armors. People are falling down. The girl can't see that behind her one demon is still alive. His sword is reaching her. The time is stopping. Sound of shattering mirror is heard, holy glitter of the talisman is disappearing. Red blood and the cascade of emerald hair. Fragile body falling down to the ground. _

"_World Shaking!" Uranus is casting the spell which rips armors of the soldiers to shreds. The moment of thought and the girl is sticking the sword into the ground. Huge energy barrier is separating her, her friend and the stronghold from the rest of world._

"Why? Why have you done it? After all you had a chance to finish it!"

Uranus was holding her companion tightly in arms. Flood of tears was pulsating in her blues eyes. Neptune was looking at her. Her beautiful face was marked with red.

"I could not... I could not let you die in such a disgraceful way, I could simply not." The girl pronounced words with an effort.

"Do not cry." Uranus comforted her by hug but she could not refrain herself from tears.

Uranus was sitting in one of chambers of the fortress looking at her beloved all the time. Neptune was lying on the floor on a fluffy carpet, her bandaged wound stopped bleeding. Unfortunately because of the blood loss the girl was unconscious. Green hair scattered everywhere, surrounded a frail, pale face. The blonde looked at her with eyes red from tears.

"Neptune, I can fight no more. I cannot stand up before them without you, it won't make sense. After all you promised that we would walk away together. Why cannot you keep your word?" She put her head on the breast of the green-haired one.

"When you're not by me I'll lose my mind, really. Don't leave me alone."

She started to sob once again. Air in the chamber waved. After a moment Nephrite appeared. Light of the magic lamp granted some demonic, supernatural expression to his face.

"How have you got here? The barrier from the talisman is..." Uranus got up. The general leaned against the stone wall.

"Impenetrable." Maybe it is for soldiers and demons. But you probably forgot that I am elite both on the side of the light as well as the darkness." He corrected his hair. Shadows of him and the girl was dancing on the wall turning into bizarre creatures.

"I came to you to say that tomorrow; perhaps the day after tomorrow everything will be over. The palace will fall down very shortly. Kunzite and Jadeite already took control of the majority of areas. Supposedly Inner Senshi no longer live. Precisely the way as I read it in stars, remarkable, right?

"Why did you come here? To gloat over my pain? I can kill you at any time, you know about it!" Uranus didn't control her words. Recent events caused that she already had cared about nothing. She wished only serenity. Nephrite kept the stoic calm.

"You are worse than Zoisite." He replied ironically.

"I simply came to say goodbye to you and your emerald angel." He looked at unconscious Neptune.

"She has hair like meadows surrounding the palace, right?" He said with a note of sadness.

„I will reveal you what stars told me recently. Your hearts are saved, you will revive at one time happy, because you are following the light. While I..." He hesitated

"Although I'm a winner, I'll be condemned for the eternity. But stars will be with me irrespective of where I'll be. Isn't it beautiful? It was worthwhile spending the entire life only with stars, they will never disappoint you and they will always stay with you no matter on which side you are, not like the people..."

He performed a gesture and looked at the sky. But this time he noticed only the old ceiling of the castle chamber.

"You are crazy." Uranus replied

"Yes, but the fate is also deciding on it." He laughed and disappeared in the black portal. Uranus sat down on the carpet by her friend. She started gently stroking her face and then playing with her hair.

"Could you hear him Neptune, we are saved. We'll be happy someday. And I heard it from the mouth of the one of people who led to our deaths. Has it any meaning?"

Neptune opened her eyes. She caught the hand stroking her hair.

"Certainly it has meaning". Neptune smiled sadly. The blonde opened her mouth not being able to get sound out of herself. Green haired girl slowly raised her head. She clenched the hand of the friend.

"Since when I got to know you, I've been in the heaven all the time..." Uranus tried to stop the flood of tears.

"The kingdom of Darkness can take everything away from us, house, power, life, but cannot take our love. And because of that Nephrite is probably really jealous." The words tired her out. She put the head on the carpet.

"Neptune, we'll still be able to fulfill our plan. Relax yourself." Blonde girl was pleased. Her beloved shook her head.

"No, my time is already ending. I feel the power of Metalia from this sword destroying my body. But..." He looked at Uranus more carefully.

"You must fulfill rest of our plan alone, Uranus. Swear you'll do it..." Blonde wiped tear with hands, leaned over the friend.

"I swear." She bent over her and moved her head closer to friend's lips. She smiled.

"Let me give you the courage for the last time."- Girls started kissing.

"Perform a task. Rescue our future. "

Uranus ran out to the balcony of the chamber. An icy wind enfolded her from every side. Her heart was pounding. She wanted to howl, to hit the wall with fists, to scream. She wanted to be far away from the place in which she said goodbye to Neptune. She looked at the river flowing beneath the stronghold. She wanted to jump.

"Serenity, Pluto, Nephrite, anybody." In thoughts she summoned her acquaintances and friends for the help. The entire world seemed to falling down straight on her head. She fell down on her knees and started crying quietly.

….

After some time she cooled down. She came back to the chamber. She looked at her dead companion. She smiled.

"I will rescue our future, darling."

She ran in the direction of the exit from the stronghold. She looked at moving hordes of soldiers and demons. She gripped the sword, preparing for the attack. For the last time she looked at the stronghold, the night sky and meadows of the Moon now settled by strange invaders.

"I'm going to you Neptune" the Sword started to glow with bright glitter. Enemies moved with the roar to her side. Entire field was engulfed by the intense light.

"You will revive at one time happy, because you are following the light."

"I thank you, Nephrite"

_Kono unmei wa utsukushiku _

_watashi no namida o _

_kagayaku serukara _

Haruka Tenou woke up poured with sweat. She looked at the room. There was a middle of the night. A light of the nearby lamp post flowed through partly closed curtains. Silence of the summer night was broken only by barely audible music reaching from some distant flat. The girl looked in the direction of the watch with the phosphorescing display lying on the cupboard.

"Third at night, but now I won't probably fall asleep up to the morning." She looked at her Michiru lying beside her. She smiled to herself. She touched her hair and then her face. The woken girl opened her eyes.

"Haruka, did something happen?" She rose up, and then sat down on the bed.

"I had a dream about the distant past. But it is no longer important."

She pulled Michiru to her body.

"What are you doing? "

"Tell me where you want to go tomorrow, what do you want to buy, I will grant your every request." Haruka said gladly.

"Where this sudden generosity is coming from? - Michiru was surprised.

"Why? Because an angel is with me." Girls nestled into each other. A musical piece coming from the window ended. After a moment, next one began, calmer.

_Unmei ni kansha shitai _

_Anata to meguriaeta kara _

_Itsuwari no seijaku o kowashite _

_Futari de kachitoru shinjitsu no heiwa _

The End


End file.
